﻿14 
  SEEDS 
  AND 
  PLANTS 
  IMPOETED. 
  

  

  as 
  inside 
  partitions. 
  The 
  leaves 
  are 
  palmately 
  divided, 
  like 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  horse-chest- 
  

   nut, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  sometimes 
  called 
  the 
  'five 
  leaves 
  silk 
  cotton' 
  to 
  distinguish 
  it 
  from 
  

   Ochroma 
  and 
  others 
  which 
  produce 
  a 
  silky 
  fiber. 
  The 
  trunks 
  of 
  young 
  trees 
  of 
  this 
  

   species 
  are 
  beset 
  with 
  large, 
  conical 
  spines, 
  but 
  in 
  age 
  these 
  fall 
  away 
  and 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  

   found 
  only 
  on 
  the 
  branches. 
  The 
  trunk 
  is 
  further 
  transformed 
  by 
  the 
  growth 
  of 
  

   prominent 
  wings 
  or 
  buttresses, 
  sometimes 
  2 
  feet 
  (0.6 
  meter) 
  wide, 
  while 
  but 
  a 
  few 
  

   inches 
  thick. 
  In 
  west 
  Africa, 
  where 
  this 
  tree 
  is 
  larger 
  and 
  more 
  luxuriant, 
  pieces 
  

   of 
  these 
  supporting 
  wings 
  are 
  sawed 
  out 
  and 
  used 
  as 
  doors 
  of 
  native 
  houses. 
  The 
  

   fiber 
  surrounding 
  the 
  seeds 
  of 
  this 
  and 
  related 
  species 
  is 
  the 
  'Kapok' 
  of 
  commerce, 
  

   and 
  is 
  exported 
  in 
  considerable 
  quantities 
  from 
  the 
  west 
  coast 
  of 
  Africa." 
  (Cook 
  

   and 
  Collins. 
  Economic 
  Plants 
  of 
  Porto 
  Rico, 
  1903, 
  p. 
  111.) 
  

  

  " 
  'Kapok' 
  has 
  come 
  into 
  use 
  very 
  largely 
  in 
  certain 
  European 
  countries 
  in 
  recent 
  

   years, 
  notably 
  in 
  Germany 
  and 
  Holland, 
  as 
  a 
  material 
  for 
  stuffing 
  cushions, 
  pillows, 
  

   chairs, 
  bedding, 
  and 
  similar 
  articles. 
  For 
  such 
  purposes 
  its 
  nonhygroscopic 
  character 
  

   and 
  its 
  softness 
  and 
  resiliency 
  render 
  it 
  peculiarly 
  suitable. 
  It 
  is 
  also 
  stated 
  to 
  be 
  

   less 
  absorbent 
  and 
  less 
  liable 
  to 
  harbor 
  insect 
  parasites 
  than 
  the 
  materials 
  generally 
  

   employed 
  in 
  upholstery, 
  and, 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  authorities 
  of 
  the 
  Pasteur 
  Institute 
  in 
  

   Paris, 
  it 
  can 
  be 
  sterilized 
  by 
  heat 
  at 
  least 
  three 
  times 
  without 
  being 
  seriously 
  damaged, 
  

   whereas 
  feathers 
  and 
  other 
  upholstery 
  materials 
  do 
  not 
  usually 
  survive 
  this 
  treatment 
  

   more 
  than 
  twice." 
  (Indian 
  Vegetable 
  Flosses 
  or 
  "Silk 
  Cottons." 
  Bulletin 
  of 
  the 
  

   Imperial 
  Institute, 
  vol. 
  3, 
  1905, 
  p. 
  223.) 
  

  

  Distribution. 
  — 
  A 
  tall 
  tree 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  forests 
  throughout 
  the 
  warmer 
  parts 
  of 
  India 
  

   and 
  Ceylon; 
  also 
  in 
  tropical 
  Africa, 
  the 
  West 
  Indies, 
  and 
  South 
  America. 
  

  

  31394. 
  Cryptomeria 
  japonic 
  a 
  (L. 
  f.) 
  D. 
  Don. 
  

  

  From 
  Yokohama, 
  Japan. 
  Purchased 
  from 
  the 
  Yokohama 
  Nursery 
  Co. 
  Received 
  

   July 
  8, 
  1911. 
  

   See 
  No. 
  2922 
  for 
  description. 
  

  

  31395 
  and 
  31396. 
  

  

  From 
  Foochow, 
  China. 
  Presented 
  by 
  Mr. 
  T. 
  M. 
  Wilkinson. 
  Received 
  July 
  5, 
  

   1911. 
  

   Seeds 
  of 
  the 
  following; 
  quoted 
  notes 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Wilkinson: 
  

  

  31395. 
  Medicago 
  lupulina 
  L. 
  Black 
  medick. 
  

   "A 
  clover 
  with 
  low-growing 
  stems, 
  inclined 
  to 
  lie 
  along 
  the 
  ground 
  and 
  take 
  

  

  root 
  at 
  joints. 
  Starts 
  in 
  new 
  places 
  like 
  white 
  clover. 
  Leaf 
  about 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  

   white 
  clover. 
  Blossom 
  yellow; 
  seed 
  grows 
  on 
  stem 
  something 
  like 
  alfalfa 
  

   instead 
  of 
  in 
  head 
  like 
  red 
  or 
  white 
  clover. 
  It 
  may 
  be 
  well 
  to 
  experiment 
  with 
  

   it 
  carefully, 
  for 
  if 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  value 
  as 
  a 
  forage 
  or 
  pasture 
  plant 
  it 
  

   may 
  prove 
  to 
  be 
  as 
  much 
  of 
  a 
  pest 
  as 
  the 
  sweet 
  clover 
  is 
  in 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  States." 
  

  

  31396. 
  Triticum 
  aestivum 
  L. 
  Wheat. 
  

   "This 
  is 
  planted 
  here 
  the 
  last 
  of 
  November 
  and 
  December; 
  it 
  grows 
  during 
  

  

  the 
  rainy 
  season 
  and 
  ripens 
  during 
  the 
  humid 
  spring 
  season. 
  Seems 
  to 
  be 
  rust- 
  

   proof 
  and 
  does 
  not 
  blight 
  easily. 
  Straw 
  quite 
  stiff 
  and 
  strong. 
  May 
  prove 
  to 
  

   be 
  a 
  valuable 
  variety 
  of 
  winter 
  wheat 
  for 
  the 
  Southern 
  States." 
  

  

  31397. 
  Capsicum 
  sp. 
  Red 
  pepper. 
  

  

  From 
  Paraguay. 
  Presented 
  by 
  Mr. 
  C. 
  F. 
  Mead, 
  Villa 
  Encarnacion. 
  Received 
  

   July 
  12, 
  1911. 
  

  

  "Called 
  in 
  Guarany 
  Kucii. 
  A 
  very 
  small 
  and 
  very 
  strong 
  pepper, 
  a 
  good 
  

   rival 
  for, 
  if 
  not 
  stronger 
  than, 
  the 
  tabasco 
  pepper. 
  Found 
  growing 
  wild 
  in 
  the 
  

   mountains 
  of 
  Paraguay, 
  but 
  I 
  know 
  nothing 
  of 
  the 
  plant 
  or 
  habit 
  of 
  its 
  growth, 
  

   as 
  the 
  seeds 
  were 
  procured 
  for 
  me 
  by 
  Indians 
  near 
  the 
  yerbales 
  of 
  Alta 
  Parana." 
  

   (Mead.) 
  

   248 
  

  

  